Tips on Avoiding Dooring

Here are some really good tips on avoiding dooring.

What are some of your own personal tips based on biking here in Chicago?

@LookChicago

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Car door crashes

Anticipating is the key to avoiding the dangerous swerve

Opening a car door in the path of a cyclist is against the law. The Victorian road rules state:

"Rule 269. Opening doors and getting out of a vehicle etc...(3) A person must not cause a hazard to any person or vehicle by opening a door of a vehicle, leaving a door of a vehicle open, or getting off, or out of, a vehicle. Penalty: 2.5 penalty units."

Someone opening a car door unexpectedly in front of you can have disastrous consequences. The tips for avoiding this type of crash are the same for avoiding crashes in general - ride sensibly and conservatively to avoid dangerous or risky situations in the first place.

 

 

1. Ride predictably: Leave room to move

  • Ride in a consistent, straight line.
  • Don't weave in and out of car spaces and traffic.
  • Don't ride fast into narrow spaces where you have little room for error.
  • Don't ride between two vehicles unless there is room to swerve or time to stop.
  • Ride out from the door zone - a car door is about 1.5m wide.
  • If you don't have enough room to ride outside the door zone, slow down to a speed where you could stop in time.

2. Look & think ahead: Anticipate other people's actions

  • Scan the interiors of parked vehicles for someone about to exit. If there is someone there, get ready to stop, or look for a space to swerve out of the way.
  • Be especially wary when passing cars to the left or kerb side when they have stopped at intersections, as passengers may be about to exit them.
  • Look for brake lights that are lit up (an indication that they've just pulled up).
  • At night, look out for the interior light going on or off.
  • Look ahead for drivers parking their cars.

Listen for the telltale click of an opening door: if you can hear it, you're too close.

It's also wise to select a route that other cyclists frequently use and one that avoids narrow roads with fast moving traffic and parked cars. Look for wide roads with slow moving traffic (preferably with bike lanes), or narrow roads with slow moving traffic.

3. Assume they haven't seen you

  • Ride conservatively and give yourself time and room to avoid a crash or sticky situation.
  • Wear bright clothes and flashing lights but remember that most drivers are looking primarily for cars.
  • Assume they have not seen you until you have made eye contact, and even then, be wary.

4. Ride according to the conditions

  • If it's wet or dark, slow down. If it's fine and bright, don't go too fast. Simple.

"I knew they were going to do it..."

So what do you do if you see a car door about to be opened in front of you?

  • Ring your bell. Sometimes this is enough to stop someone opening a door further. (Bells are a requirement as part of the road rules for bikes).
  • If you are really close, try a loud 'Hey!', but only as a last resort.
  • Failing that, just slow down and stop if necessary.

The last point sounds simple, but so few people seem prepared to do it. Stop, smile at the driver. In most cases they have not realised what they have done and are apologetic. If they have not realised then politely point it out to them.

Don't start an argument - experience suggests that people rarely win arguments about another person's driving skills on the roadway. Just point out their mistake and ride on when the opportunity arises.

The idea is to promote good behaviour and you can start with your own. If you are courteous and calm then you are more likely to get a similar response.

What to do if the worst happens

If you are confronted by the unexpected car door, here are some tips:

  • Hit the brakes. Use the rear (left) brake slightly before the front to avoid going over the handlebars.
  • Pick your line and stick to it.

Hitting a car door hurts - a lot. Getting run over by a truck hurts even more. If worst comes to worst, you may be better to brace yourself and hit the door rather than lose control and end up under a motor vehicle.

One advantage of hitting a door (as opposed to a moving vehicle) is that they tend to funnel you in towards the car. If you can, 'decide' how you are going to crash then you may be able to avoid the hardest part of the car door (the end, which is all metal), rather than the inside, which is upholstered.

If you do have a crash

  • Try to stay calm and keep your wits about you.
  • Write down the particulars of the crash as soon as possible, even if it is from the hospital bed.
  • Record the name and license number of other parties, registration number of the vehicle, names and details of witness and whatever you can remember of the details of the crash. Sign and date the record. Get it witnessed, as it may be useful later if there is a dispute over the crash.
  • Report the crash to the police.
  • If in Victoria, contact the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) (ph 9663 7500 or 1800 332 556) as a car door crash is classified as a crash involving a motor vehicle in the act of driving under the relevant Act. (Thank Bicycle Network Victoria for this inclusion.)
  • Contact Bicycle Network Victoria for any out-of-pocket expenses you may have after a crash. Our Member bike crash insurance can cover Members' costs associated with damage to another person's property, your property (including your bike) or injuries you may sustain (conditions apply). Even if you're not yet a Member we may still be able to help you.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on November 21, 2012 at 12:11pm

I agree. The law in Illinois was just poorly written and only addresses the users of MOTOR vehicles, but doesn't address other vehicles without motors, namely bicycles. I just did a blog post on the legality of riding with headphones the other day. Here it is.

Aaron Bussey said:

This is the #1 reason I think it should be illegal to ride with ear buds in!

This scares me/bugs me more than anything - soo dangerous!

Mike Keating said:

This is a simple one, but your ears can be as helpful as your eyes. I've had instances where I didn't see any movement, but heard the familiar "click" of a door latch and was able to act.

Permalink Reply by Jason on November 21, 2012 at 6:29pm

I'm just going to say that while it's probably not the intention, it's still really unfair and irresponsible (not to mention in poor taste) to imply that the the people who design, produce and publish safety literature somehow bear some responsibility for the deaths of cyclists.

Especially when, unless one has access to all the details of the fatal crash as well as any eye witness testimony, all speculation about what could have been done differently and how it would or wouldn't have possibly saved someones life is just that, speculation.

Rather than undermining and second guessing the efforts of advocates and committed professionals, maybe those energies could be spent doing something more productive?

h' said:

Ironically, several of the cyclists we've lost in recent years would probably still be alive if they had adhered to the "no" rather than the "yes" in this image.

One-size-fits-all advice can be as dangerous as no advice at all sometimes.

Juan said:

1zt7hr8qm0y90Permalink Reply by 1zt7hr8qm0y90 on November 22, 2012 at 4:46pm
The most effective way to avoid being doored is to ride the sidewalk. I can understand why this is illegal in the downtown Loop area but it makes no sense to be illegal in residential neighborhoods. Here in the northwest suburbes there is nothing on the municiple websites regarding this and I have asked police if it was legal and they looked puzzled. I also don't understand why sidewalk riding discussions become hateful. Even more so than Idaho stops and running stop signs and lights.
Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on November 22, 2012 at 5:06pm

It doesn't make sense nearly anywhere in the city, not just in the loop. Out in the northwest burbs it's probably different because they're designed around cars. 

People use sidewalks with a perfectly reasonable expectation of not having to watch for fast-moving vehicles. It is kind of insane to suggest using sidewalks in areas that sidewalks are actually used. 

Douglas Iverson said:

The most effective way to avoid being doored is to ride the sidewalk. I can understand why this is illegal in the downtown Loop area but it makes no sense to be illegal in residential neighborhoods. Here in the northwest suburbes there is nothing on the municiple websites regarding this and I have asked police if it was legal and they looked puzzled. I also don't understand why sidewalk riding discussions become hateful. Even more so than Idaho stops and running stop signs and lights.
Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on November 22, 2012 at 8:13pm

Providing feedback on the basis of the lived experience of countless full-time cyclists is, in fact, productive. 

It's entirely, one hundred percent legitimate to "second guess" because we actually do have some authority on the subject. 

Jason said:

I'm just going to say that while it's probably not the intention, it's still really unfair and irresponsible (not to mention in poor taste) to imply that the the people who design, produce and publish safety literature somehow bear some responsibility for the deaths of cyclists.

Especially when, unless one has access to all the details of the fatal crash as well as any eye witness testimony, all speculation about what could have been done differently and how it would or wouldn't have possibly saved someones life is just that, speculation.

Rather than undermining and second guessing the efforts of advocates and committed professionals, maybe those energies could be spent doing something more productive?

Permalink Reply by Duppie on November 23, 2012 at 4:29am
h',
I appreciate you being sensitive about the facts of deadly crashes and making sure the details don't get back to the families of the victims.

But your statement is confusing to say the least. What was the intent of the statement? Should we all be riding closer too cars? Or just under certain circumstances? If so, what circumstances? Or was it just a statement of fact, not meant to change our behavior?

Without a better explanation as to why you think we are at times better off riding in the "NO" zone, I am going to continue riding in the "YES" zone.


h' said:

Hi Jason,

I actually do have access to eyewitness testimony and details of almost every fatal bike crash in Chicago since about 2006, including many details I would never pass along.

But not sure why that level of detail would be necessary for the statement I made.

We're going to have to disagree on this one, I guess.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on November 23, 2012 at 12:18pm

I just tried an experiment which I found somewhat enlightening.  I parked my bike next to a wall and straightened out the front wheel, as if I were riding.  I then used a tape measure to figure out how close the furthest-right part of my bike--on some bikes it would be the end of the right handlebar, on my bike it's my right pannier, which sticks out a little farther--could come to the wall and still be 48" away from it.  It's a lot further than I would have thought.  At that distance, I can't reach the wall with my hand or even stick my foot out and touch it.  I'm using a 4' distance to account for the huge swinging door of a two-door car, which is longer than a door on a regular sedan.  And I'm using the wall as my visual for the left side of a parked car to account for some motorists parking a foot or two left of the curb.  I think if I never ride closer to a parked car than 4', I should never get doored.

Permalink Reply by Larry Mysz on November 23, 2012 at 2:19pm

Here is another way to check the width of the door zone   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPA-ZcYGT94&feature=plcp   and some of the (graphic) reasons to avoid it  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CudJvSbS2aY

 

 

1zt7hr8qm0y90Permalink Reply by 1zt7hr8qm0y90 on November 23, 2012 at 8:56pm
This is a bit off topic but I think that subconsciously motorist view bike lanes as a buffer zone. What are the odds of a bike being there when they are so few as compared to cars and how often does a parked motorist get their door torn off by another car where there are no bike lanes? I noticed on my ride to and from the Bonfire Tweed ride that taxi's and CTA busses like to use dedicated bike lanes for their own personal convience. I yell at them and I hope you do too.
Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on November 23, 2012 at 9:26pm

No it's not easy to ride to the left of the door zone, when motorists are beeping their horns and shaking their fists at you, as you dare to encroach on their private domain.  But it's necessary for us to try to do so, if we want to stay alive.  One thing that makes it easier for me is the sure knowledge that bikes belong, that motorists aren't any more important than we are simply because they burn petroleum and that their desire to reach their destination 20 seconds sooner isn't equal to my life.
 
h' said:

I have no doubt riding outside of the door zone would decrease one's likelihood of contact to an opening car door by a large magnitude, but it's rarely easy to do so without putting yourself in the path of a potentially distracted, angry, or drunk driver.

Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on November 24, 2012 at 7:20am

On the other hand, every time i've been doored it's been from the left, so in conclusion it is a land of contrasts. 

I'd like to see some campaigning more in the direction of: "avoid dooring, look before you open your doors," or even some sort of consequence stronger than "if you kill a cyclist, you may get a ticket" because focusing all of this attention on complex rules of dubious and situational tips and tricks to avoid getting doored is probably long-term less effective and just drive home the idea that cycling is just super duper dangerous, which makes for fewer cyclists, which makes for more dangerous riding. 


Thunder Snow said:

I think if I never ride closer to a parked car than 4', I should never get doored.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on November 24, 2012 at 8:50am

You've been doored from the left?  Either you were riding in England, salmoning here or really unlucky in a protected bike lane, because I'm not envisioning how this can happen if you were riding center or center-right.  And yes, educating motorists and taxi passengers to look before opening a door is vital, but I fear that we'll never get 100 per cent compliance from them, as their lives don't depend on it as ours does.  It seems to me more direct and effective to educate in a two-pronged approach, both motorists to look before opening, and we cyclists to stay away from doors.  No motorist will ever look out for us as well as we'll look out for ourselves.

Other worthwhile efforts would be to remove curbside parking on at least the three most "dooring streets" in Chicago (Milwaukee, Lincoln & Clark, according to the WBEZ map), or at least change curbside parking to angled parking so that doors don't protrude into the street.  And if any lawyers here would be interested in a huge class action suit against car manufacturers who design cars with swinging doors that kill us, that would be swell.

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